Kneading to be Needed

By Noble Gentry

Cherishing moments and appreciating the daily gifts in life are so much of what makes life worth living. The final moments of life are no exception and may be the most valuable of all. Being a part of the last chapter of one’s life with family, friends, patients, and even pets is meaningful, honorable and powerful. I have learned through volunteering for Hospice and the grief-counseling of children how to let go of and strengthen bonds at the end of a journey. Here, I am sharing some of those cries, laughs and all in between that has changed my own life in ways small and great.

• Language: English
• Publisher: PTP Book Division
• Release date: Mar 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781545744819

Noble Gentry

Noble Gentry is not your typical hospice volunteer. He is a middle-aged, bald man, and a blue-collar worker that rides a motorcycle. He works hard, gives maximum efforts, wastes nothing, and loves his family. In the five years he was a volunteer, he was nominated for Volunteer of the Year and came in runner up. He has always tried to give as much or more than received. His experience with care comes from great parents, a diverse group of patients, and exceptional mentors. Before hospice, Noble was a Big Brother to an awesome kid in tough times. He also became a foster parent to three young siblings for just over a year. He believes that there can be positive moments in sad times, and it’s important to be the source of good in the world each day. 

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others.

Noble Gentry

PTP

PTP Book Division

Path to Publication Group, Inc.

Arizona

Copyright © 2018 Noble Livingston

Printed in the United States of America All Rights Reserved

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This is a work of nonfiction. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.

Reviewers may quote passages for use in periodicals, newspapers, or broadcasts provided credit is given to Kneading to be Needed by Noble Gentry and PTP Book Division, Path to Publication Group, Inc.

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PTP Book Division

Path to Publication Group, Inc.

16201 E. Keymar Dr.

Fountain Hills, AZ 85268 www.pathtopublication.net

ISBN: 9781731014276

Library of Congress Cataloging Number

LCCN: 2018963765

Printed in the United States of America First Edition

Dedication

To Mom and Pop for teaching me

by showing compassion for others.

Table of Contents

Chapter One:   9 Answering the Call

Chapter Two:  15 A Room Full of Angels

Chapter Three:  21 The Lesson

Chapter Four:   25 My First Test

Chapter Five:  29 My First Patient

Chapter Six: 37 Adventures in a Nursing 

Home

Chapter Seven:  45 Here Comes Peter Cotton

Tail

Chapter Eight:  51 Face Value

Chapter Nine:  55 A Camp Full of Miracles

Chapter Ten:  65 Every Other Tuesday

Chapter Eleven:  71 Rocket Science

Chapter Twelve: 77 Two Cool Chicks

Chapter Thirteen: 83 We Can Be Selfish

Chapter Fourteen: 89 The Acre that Seemed to

be a Mile

Chapter Fifteen:  97  Sister Michelle

Chapter Sixteen: 107 Connections

Chapter Seventeen: 113 The Mother of Hospice

Chapter Eighteen: 123 Big Brother Mark

Chapter Nineteen: 131 Mom’s Pioneer

Chapter Twenty: 135 Thank You

Epilogue  141 Kneading It All

About the Author

Chapter 1

Answering the Call

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As I drove by each day on my way to work I watched the construction progress of a new building that seemed quite impressive. I slowed down enough once to see that it was a Hospice care center. How wonderful, I thought. From then on, I grew more and more curious about it all.

When construction was complete and cars were out front, something pulled me to that new building, so I stopped in one day. As I walked through the doors for the first time, an instant sense of calm enveloped me. I could see right away that much planning and care had gone into the design of this place.

A friendly voice came from behind the desk in the lobby. May I help you? said the volunteer with a warm smile. Well, I was actually thinking the same thing. I inquired about volunteering and she directed me to the door to my right. I peered into the open door and was greeted by two smiling faces; Debra and Molly. Both were eager to give me information about how I could help. They then gave me forms to fill out and return.

Before I could turn to leave, Debra asked if I would like a tour. Absolutely, I said. I was glad I did.

That tasteful design flowed throughout the entire facility. Though, it seems quite an injustice to refer to this place with an industrial label such as facility. Care Center is the proper term and it is just that. I have yet to find any other center that graciously shows care in everything that’s done by everyone that does it, except for one that comes in only second. We’ll get to that a few pages from here.

As we walked through the halls, I noticed that each wing was dedicated to someone and honored by a plaque above the entryway. There were plaques of honor on many of the features, art, furniture, and even landscaping, giving credit to those that made a positive difference to Hospice.

In a sitting area, soft, but not dim lighting gently touched every corner. A stone fireplace keeps company with a donated baby grand piano and grandfather clock. With also plenty of places to sit, it is definitely one of my favorite places to put these thoughts on paper.

We continued on to the nurses’ station. Big windows and open doors let you see the clerical and organizing part of their care. If they happen to look up from their charts and computers and make eye contact with you, it is sure to be accompanied by a smile. It occurred to me that there were more smiles here than I had anticipated. These were happy people taking care of sad situations. It seemed peculiar to me. Not wrong, but peculiar. It intensified my curiosity nonetheless.

Across from the nurses was a neat and clean area with tables, chairs, a coffee maker, etc. There, a family sat to eat at one of the tables. Some may consider it strange to eat when at a Hospice Center, saying good-bye to a loved one or after a funeral. I was told early on in life that even sad people have to eat.

It reminded me of the wakes I went to as a child. The children in my family always attended the funerals and wakes afterward. I recall it being some of the best reflecting and bonding times with aunts, uncles and cousins. I think experiencing that helped me to not be nervous as I walked through the halls that day.

Debra then led me into a big kitchen. It was full of a wide variety of foods. Volunteers and coordinators prepare everything. Usually, the patients were given a variety of meals from which to choose. However, if they wanted something specific, the kitchen would do its best to make it happen—even if it meant going to get it.

We moved on to the meeting/break room for the staff and volunteers. It was a decent size with its own small kitchen. It also has big windows, lockers and restrooms with showers. This place seemed to accommodate absolutely everyone.

Next were some of the rooms. Tasteful and calm are the two best words to describe them. There wasn’t anything cold or medicinal about them. A comfortable, adjustable bed shared space with cushy chairs. A large television on the wall with a place for cards and flowers to sit beneath is all easy for the patient to see from the bed. The walls were painted with warm tones that tied it all together in this pleasant place to be.

Each wing had its own small gathering room with table, chairs couch, coffee, tissues and television. And yes, you are permitted to change the channel to whatever you like. It was obvious that this place was just as much about the family as it was about the patient.

As we made our way back to the front, we passed by a children’s play area. There were toys, books, kid-friendly furniture, and big windows for which to see in and out. Built into one of the walls was a huge aquarium where the opposite side could be seen from the main lobby. It has crystal-clear water and, what seemed to be, happy fish.

We moved on to the chapel. Flowers of stained glass and the like graced the windows of the doors. Absolutely beautiful! Rows of seating and a podium could all be moved to accommodate various religious ceremonies. Natural stones from floor to ceiling centered the main wall. The sound of water trickling through a water feature in the corner offered a sense of peace as well.

I turned to Debra and said "Wow. This is an amazing place. I thanked her for the tour and her time. I looked around in awe one more time as I made a slower-than-normal exit. In my admiration for all of the care and concern that went into the creation of this care center, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. It really was more of a should than a want"; being there just felt right.

Chapter 2

A Room Full of Angels

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I took the volunteer paperwork home and filled it out right away. It was no bother to give detailed, personal information. A background check had to take place next and it actually offered me comfort they were so thorough in their screening.

Only a couple of days had passed and I had those papers back in their hands. Excited seems to be an ironic term to describe my feelings about learning more but I was. It was sill five weeks until the beginning of the six-night orientation. Maybe typical anticipation but it seemed further away than that.

The first night of orientation finally arrived and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. We gathered in the meeting room of that same care center. There must have been twenty-five people or so. Half of the group was retired and it wasn’t much of a surprise to see most of the room was filled with women. That may seem a little judgmental but retirees have the time to spare and women are typically the caregivers. I was surprised,